Introduction
Gardens are recognized as multifaceted spaces that enhance psychological stability, quality of life, and social interaction of human beings beyond just green spaces. Recent international studies on gardens and gardening activities report that participation in gardening activities has a positive effect on mental health, emotional recovery, well-being, and life satisfaction (Soga et al., 2017; Panţiru et al., 2024). Furthermore, experiencing green spaces within university campuses and everyday living environments is a factor that improves individual quality of life by forming a sense of restoration and place attachment (Hipp et al., 2016; Lewicka, 2011; Proshansky et al., 1983).
Along with this research trend, institutional interest in the public value of gardens is also gradually expanding. In South Korea, the Act on the Creation and Furtherance of Arboretums and Gardens clearly defines gardens as public resources capable of performing various social functions, such as education, healing, leisure, and regional revitalization (Ministry of Government Legislation, Republic of Korea, 2023). Building upon this institutional foundation, local governments are operating citizen gardener training programs as a policy tool to promote the daily participation of citizens in gardening.
Prior studies on citizen gardener training and similar garden and urban agriculture education programs have primarily analyzed outcomes with a focus on educational satisfaction and changes in perception. Son and Kim (2015), who examined Gyeonggi-do Citizen Gardener Training, reported that curriculum content, instructor expertise, and practice-oriented education have significant effects on the formation of educational satisfaction. In addition, a study on citizen gardener training incorporating gardening activities found that hands-on gardening experience functions as a key factor in enhancing educational satisfaction (Park et al., 2022). Research on urban agriculture and garden management programs also showed that participants tend to evaluate programs more positively when they emphasize practice-oriented education and have high applicability to everyday life (Kim et al., 2018).
However, these prior studies generally focus on levels of satisfaction or perception at the point of program completion, and relatively few studies have directly examined, through quantitative analysis, how educational experiences are linked to subsequent continuity of participation or intentions to re-participate. In other words, although numerous studies have confirmed high levels of educational satisfaction, there is insufficient research systematically verifying whether this satisfaction actually leads to future educational participation, continued gardening activities, or involvement in community gardening activities (Son and Kim, 2015; Park et al., 2022). This is because many studies have been limited to cross-sectional survey analyses, with only a restricted number of analyses utilizing participants’ behavioral intentions as a dependent variable.
Meanwhile, in the field of public space and service evaluation, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), which can simultaneously analyze user perceptions and performance, has been widely used as an effective analytical tool (Martilla and James, 1977; Oh, 2001). Recently, the IPA technique has been applied to urban parks and green spaces, demonstrating its usefulness in diagnosing user satisfaction and deriving improvement strategies (Sim et al., 2020; Wang and Hu, 2024). Nevertheless, there are still relatively few studies that comprehensively examine the relationship between educational satisfaction and future participation intention by combining IPA with correlation analysis and regression analysis in the context of citizen gardener training programs.
Jinju is actively promoting policies to expand garden culture with the goal of attracting a national garden, and it operates a citizen gardener training program as part of this effort. However, research that extends the scope of analysis of this program to include continuity of participation beyond educational satisfaction remains limited. Accordingly, this study aims to systematically analyze educational satisfaction in the Jinju Citizen Gardener Training Program and to empirically examine the relationship between educational experience and future participation intention through IPA and correlation and regression analyses. Through this, the study seeks to diagnose the operational performance of citizen gardener training in the context of a small and medium-sized local city and to derive curriculum improvements and policy implications.
Research Methods
Structure of the Training Program
The Jinju Citizen Gardener Training Program is operated as a staged educational system consisting of a basic course and an advanced course. The educational objectives, main content, and the composition of theory and practice for the two courses are designed based on the Gyeongsangnam-do Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Garden Culture Industry (Gyeongsangnam-do, 2020) and its Enforcement Rules (Gyeongsangnam-do, 2022), and the educational content and certification criteria likewise follow the framework presented in the ordinance.
The basic course consists of total 60 hours and focuses primarily on foundational theory required for gardening activities, such as understanding and managing garden plants and the basic concepts of creating domestic gardens. It also includes basic practical training in garden creation and management/operation, and is designed to enable participants to acquire garden management competencies for their daily lives. In contrast, the advanced course comprises total 70 hours and expands practice-oriented content such as garden design, construction, and maintenance based on the knowledge and experience acquired in the basic course. In particular, the advanced course places greater emphasis on practical training, enabling participants to accumulate more specialized experience in garden creation and management.
The differences between the basic and advanced courses in terms of educational objectives, main topics, and the balance between theory and practice are presented in Table 1. This shows that the basic course is an introductory stage of gardening activities that focuses on developing fundamental competencies, whereas the advanced course represents a stage that strengthens the application skills and proficiency in garden creation and management through practice-oriented education.
Survey Design (Composition of the Survey Instrument)
The questionnaire for this study was constructed to reflect the operational objectives and curricular structure of the Jinju Citizen Gardener Training Program. The survey items consisted of participants’ general characteristics, perceptions of educational content and operation, educational satisfaction, and future participation intention, and were designed to comprehensively assess the outcomes of citizen gardener training.
Specifically, perceptions of educational content and operation were measured using 6 items, educational satisfaction with 6 items, and future participation intention with 6 items. The survey structure and item composition are presented in Table 2.
The survey items were derived with reference to evaluation factors repeatedly employed in prior studies analyzing educational satisfaction and participation experiences in citizen gardener training and horticulture and garden education programs (Son and Kim, 2015; Park et al., 2022; Kim et al., 2018). Moreover, by reflecting the objectives and functions of garden education as presented in the Act on the Creation and Furtherance of Arboretums and Gardens, the study sought to ensure alignment with the institutional aims of expanding garden culture, increasing citizen participation, and strengthening competencies for utilizing gardens in everyday life (Ministry of Government Legislation, Republic of Korea, 2023).
This study was not intended to develop or validate a scale for measuring specific latent constructs, but rather to conduct an exploratory analysis of participants’ perceptions and evaluations of the citizen gardener training program. Accordingly, the focus was placed on the content validity of the survey items and their theoretical basis in the educational system and prior research, rather than on calculating internal consistency coefficients among items. All items were measured using a five-point Likert scale.
As the survey included the general characteristics of individuals such as gender and age, the purpose of the study and the scope of personal data use were explained in advance, and respondents’ voluntary participation and prior consent to the collection and use of personal information were obtained.
Data Collection and Analysis Methods
Study Participants and Data Collection
This study was conducted on the citizen gardener training program operated in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. The study sample consisted of 64 participants who completed the basic course and 61 who completed the advanced course, and a total of 125 questionnaires were used for the final analysis. As the basic and advanced courses are operated as independent stages, the two courses were separated for analysis in this study.
To assess the adequacy of the sample size, a priori power analysis was conducted using G*Power 3.1. Based on multiple regression analysis with a medium effect size (f2 = 0.15), a significance level of 0.05, and statistical power of 0.80, the minimum required sample size was estimated at approximately 92 participants; the sample size of this study (n = 125) satisfied this requirement.
The survey was conducted offline at the program site, and questionnaires with more than 20% missing responses or identified as insincerely completed were excluded.
Rationale for Selecting IPA Evaluation Items
This study employed IPA to diagnose the operational performance of the citizen gardener training program based on participant perceptions and to derive priorities for improvement. IPA allows for the simultaneous comparison of the importance and performance of each educational component, and has been used as a suitable analytical method for systematically identifying program strengths and areas requiring improvement (Martilla and James, 1977; Oh, 2001; Wang and Hu, 2024).
IPA evaluation items were structured into four categories to comprehensively reflect the outcomes of citizen gardener training: acquisition of horticultural knowledge and skills, practical experience and applicability to everyday life, social interaction and volunteer experience, and personal learning motivation and continuity of participation. The specific items within each category were derived through a review of prior studies analyzing educational satisfaction and participation experiences in citizen gardener training and horticulture and garden education programs (Son and Kim, 2015; Park et al., 2022; Kim et al., 2018).
Data Analysis Methods
Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Statistics 27.0. After examining respondents’ demographic characteristics and the distribution of key variables through descriptive statistics, IPA was applied to derive the program’s areas of strength and those requiring improvement. Pearson correlation analysis was then performed to examine the relationships among the key variables, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify factors affecting educational satisfaction and future participation intention.
The regression analysis consisted of four models, and, considering the research objectives and policy applicability, interpretation focused primarily on the model in which future participation intention was set as the dependent variable. Prior to the analysis, the underlying assumptions were examined, including the normality of residuals, homoscedasticity, linearity, multicollinearity, and the presence of outliers.
Results and Discussion
Socio-Demographic Background
Regarding the gender distribution of respondents, 67.2% were female and 32.8% were male in the basic course, while 68.9% were female and 31.1% were male in the advanced course (Table 2). The proportion of female participants was higher in both courses, which can be interpreted as reflecting the characteristics of citizen gardener training centered on activities closely related to everyday life—such as garden management, horticultural activities, and the improvement of living environments—thereby offering relatively higher accessibility for women. This trend is consistent with findings from a study on citizen gardener training in South Korea, which report a majority of female participants (Son and Kim, 2015). In addition, a study analyzing participation in urban agriculture and gardening activities have also found relatively higher female participation rates, suggesting that garden and horticultural activities are perceived as lifestyle-oriented activities associated with care, leisure, and health management (Kim et al., 2018).
In terms of age distribution, participants in their 60s accounted for the largest proportion in the basic course (42.2%), while in the advanced course, those in their 50s (47.5%) and 60s (34.4%) constituted the majority (Table 2). In both courses, middle-aged and older adults aged 50 and above accounted for more than half of the participants, suggesting that citizen gardener training functions as a program that can simultaneously fulfill post-retirement leisure activities and social participation. Although the level of physical demand in garden and horticultural activities varies depending on the type and intensity of the activity, programs such as this one—comprising home garden management, understanding of plants, and basic practice-oriented instruction—tend to allow participation without excessive physical strain and are perceived as activities that can provide emotional stability and a sense of accomplishment. In fact, previous international studies have reported that gardening activities have positive effects on psychological restoration and life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults (Soga et al., 2017).
The distributions of educational attainment, occupation, housing type, and garden ownership are presented in Table 3. For educational attainment, bachelor’s degree holders accounted for the largest proportion in both the basic course (53.1%) and the advanced course (62.3%), while those with a master’s degree or higher also exceeded 20% in both groups. This indicates that participants in citizen gardener training tend to have relatively high levels of education and perceive the education not merely as a hobby but as an opportunity for self-development and enhancement of expertise. Notably, the higher proportion of highly educated participants in the advanced course suggests that as learners progress to stages involving more specialized content—such as garden design and construction—learning motivation and an orientation toward expertise may be further strengthened. This trend can be interpreted as a common characteristic of adult learners who voluntarily participate in lifestyle and environment-related education.
In occupational distribution, full-time housewives accounted for the largest proportion in both the basic (31.3%) and advanced courses (37.7%), while professionals and self-employed participants also represented a notable share (Table 3). This suggests that groups with relatively greater flexibility in time use are more likely to actively participate in citizen gardener training. Given that gardening activities require ongoing management and learning rather than short-term experience, groups that can allocate a certain amount of time even after completing the program appear to constitute the main participant group.
Regarding housing type, apartment residents accounted for 50.0% in the basic course and 60.7% in the advanced course, constituting more than half of the participants (Table 3). However, only 40.6% of the basic course and 36.1% of the advanced course respondents reported owning a garden, indicating a relatively low level of garden ownership. This suggests that citizen gardener training functions not as a program limited to private garden owners, but as one encompassing diverse forms of garden experience, including home gardens, community gardens, and public garden spaces. In fact, recent studies on gardening and urban green spaces have pointed out that participation in gardening among urban residents is expanding regardless of whether they own a private garden (Soga et al., 2017).
Overall, participants in the Jinju Citizen Gardener Training Program were predominantly female, middle-aged and older adults aged 50 and above, and relatively highly educated. These characteristics demonstrate that citizen gardener training functions as a lifestyle-oriented education program that integrates leisure, learning, and social participation, and is based on demand from middle-aged and older adults. In particular, the inclusion of participants from diverse housing types regardless of garden ownership indicates that this education operates as an inclusive program aimed at expanding garden culture in everyday life, rather than being limited to specific groups. This can be interpreted as aligning with the policy objectives of the Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Garden Culture Industry and its Enforcement Rules (Gyeongsangnam-do, 2020; 2022).
Strategic Improvement and Enhancement Directions for Citizen Gardener Training Based on IPA Results
In the IPA, quadrants were defined based on the overall mean values of importance and performance, and the relative position of each item was interpreted accordingly. The results showed that the basic and advanced courses differed in their performance structures and areas requiring improvement (Figs. 1 and 2). In the basic course, participation in garden-related volunteer activities emerged as a priority area for improvement (Fig. 1), indicating that such opportunities in small and medium-sized cities are often limited to local government-led events such as garden expos and festivals. Accordingly, at the basic stage, it is necessary to expand community-based garden volunteer programs linked to education and to structure them within the formal curriculum so that volunteer activities do not remain as one-time experiences.
In contrast, the acquisition of horticultural knowledge and skills, home garden creation and applicability, and hobby/leisure functions were classified as areas to maintain and strengthen (Fig. 1). This shows that the basic course is effective in developing garden management competencies in everyday life, and that these strengths should be continuously reinforced through increased practical training and case-based instruction.
In the advanced course, no priority area for improvement was identified were identified (Fig. 2), indicating an overall increase in satisfaction. However, motivation for certification and orientation toward professional activities were classified as low-priority tasks, with both importance and performance rated low (Fig. 2). This suggests that advanced course participants place greater value on deepening practical garden experience and applicability to everyday life rather than on certification or formal recognition. Accordingly, rather than expanding citizen gardener training into a certification-centered structure, it would be more appropriate to provide, as a supplementary option, advanced learning pathways for selectively expanding expertise as needed.
Furthermore, social interaction was classified as an over-invested area in both the basic and advanced courses, with satisfaction exceeding importance (Figs. 1 and 2). This indicates that interaction and network formation among participants constitute an important component of educational outcomes, consistent with prior research showing that gardening activities have positive effects on social interaction and psychological well-being (Soga et al., 2017). Accordingly, future citizen gardener training should recognize social interaction not as a supplementary activity but as a core learning experience, and further develop it into structured interaction programs, such as group projects, field-based activities, and sustained network management.
Correlation Analysis Results for the Basic Course
In the basic course, educational content (r = .834, p < .01), instructor expertise (r = .778, p < .01), and the appropriateness of education difficulty (r = .816, p < .01) all showed very strong positive correlations with educational satisfaction (Table 4). This indicates that the composition and delivery of the curriculum, as well as the setting of an appropriate difficulty level aligned with learners’ levels, are closely associated with participants’ satisfaction. In particular, the high correlation coefficient between educational content and education difficulty suggests that instructional design aligned with learners’ understanding and experience at the basic stage is strongly linked to perceived satisfaction. Moreover, educational facilities (r = .479, p < .01), additional education participation intention (r = .481, p < .01), and garden creation participation intention (r = .554, p < .01) also showed significant positive correlations with educational satisfaction, indicating that the overall educational environment and future activity intentions are closely associated with evaluations of the educational experience. In particular, the relatively high correlation coefficient with garden creation participation intention suggests that learning experiences in the basic course may be linked to intentions for practical engagement beyond mere cognitive satisfaction.
Overall, educational satisfaction in the basic course is shaped by the substantiveness of educational content, instructor expertise, and the setting of an appropriate difficulty level aligned with learners’ levels, and these factors appear to be linked to intentions for practical engagement, such as future participation in education and garden creation activities.
Correlation Analysis Results for the Advanced Course
In the advanced course, educational content (r = .813, p < .01), instructor expertise (r = .721, p < .01), and the appropriateness of education difficulty (r = .734, p < .01) showed strong correlations with educational satisfaction (Table 5). Educational facilities (r = .442, p < .01), additional education participation intention (r = .469, p < .01), and garden creation participation intention (r = .489, p < .01) also all showed significant positive correlations. In particular, garden creation and additional education participation intention were strongly associated with each other (r = .786, p < .01), suggesting that the advanced course may extend to participants’ long-term learning motivation and engagement in community garden creation.
Across both the basic and advanced courses, educational content, instructor expertise, appropriateness of education difficulty, and educational facilities were all significantly associated with satisfaction, indicating that the systematic structure and content of the program, as well as instructor competence, are key determinants of participant satisfaction. In contrast, institutional factors such as certification showed relatively weaker correlations with satisfaction, confirming that participants place greater emphasis on practice- and experience-based learning experience and garden creation activities than on obtaining certification. This is consistent with Son and Kim (2015), who argue that the primary outcomes of citizen gardener training lie not in acquiring professional status but in everyday practice and contribution to the local community.
Continuity of Participation and Community Contribution
The survey results of citizen gardener training indicate that participants showed a high level of re-participation intention. The mean score for the item “I will participate again in the citizen gardener training program in the future” was above 4.2, suggesting that citizen gardener training functions as a basis for sustained engagement in garden- related activities at the regional level rather than remaining a one-time experience. These results also suggest a potential gap between the current operational structure and participants’ intentions for continued learning.
The formation of such re-participation intention is also associated with a structure in which repeated educational experiences reinforce learners’ satisfaction and the formation of social relationships. A meta-analysis of gardening and garden activities has empirically demonstrated that repeated participation experiences have positive effects on emotional stability and social interaction of individuals (Soga et al., 2017). This supports the view that the high level of re-participation intention observed in citizen gardener training is not merely driven by interest, but is grounded in the cumulative effects of learning and social experience.
International cases also demonstrate the operational mechanism of citizen participation-based programs mediated by educational elements. The 606 in Chicago is evaluated as a linear public space that continuously integrates educational and experiential programs for citizens with local community activities beyond simply creating a pedestrian corridor. In this space, various learning-based activities—such as ecological interpretation programs, local history education, bicycle safety training, and arts and cultural workshops—are regularly offered, and participation in these programs is combined with everyday use of the space to encourage repeated visits and long-term engagement (Gobster et al., 2017). In other words, The 606 functions as a citizen participation platform mediated by education, as it is designed not merely for spatial use but to enable citizens to accumulate “experiences of learning and participation.”
The Natur Park Südgelände in Berlin can likewise be regarded as a case of public space management with citizen participation and learning as the key elements. During the process of naturally restoring a former railway site, the park was designed to enable citizen volunteers and local organizations to directly engage in conservation activities, ecological monitoring, and interpretive programs, thereby enabling both learning and practical experience in nature conservation to occur simultaneously (Kowarik and Langer, 2005). This participatory approach positions citizens not merely as users but as both active managers and learners of the space, resulting in a structure that stably maintains repeat visitation and long-term participation of visitors (Sim et al., 2020).
These international cases provide useful references for understanding how structures that enable citizens to accumulate experiences through learning and participation operate in public spaces. In this regard, the present study offers a relevant context for discussing the potential of citizen gardener training to extend into repeated participation and community-based activities.
Results of Multiple Regression Analysis on Factors Influencing Educational Satisfaction and Future Participation Intention in the Basic Course
The multiple regression results for the basic course show that volunteering opportunities (β = .464, p < .01) and helpful for home gardening (β = .361, p < .01) had significant effects on future participation intention (Table 6). This indicates that participants in the basic course are more likely to re-participate in education when they perceive garden management competencies in everyday life and experience public value through community volunteer activities. In contrast, institutional outcomes such as obtaining certification did not have a significant effect on future participation intention, suggesting that at the basic stage, practical utility in everyday life and hands-on experience serve as more critical factors in shaping participation motivation than formal recognition.
Examining the factors affecting educational satisfaction, instructor expertise (β = .312, p < .01) and practical experience (β = .284, p < .01) had the strongest effects. This indicates that an instructional approach integrating expertise and practical training is more effective in enhancing learner satisfaction than simple theory-centered instruction. These findings are consistent with experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984), which explains that learning centered on experience and practice strengthens learners’ understanding and confidence and increases the likelihood of leading to learning outcomes and subsequent behavioral intentions.
Overall, re-participation intention and educational satisfaction in the citizen gardener basic course appear to be reinforced more by practical applicability to everyday life, hands-on experience, and perceived public value than by institutional outcomes. This suggests that, in reviewing the management direction of citizen gardener training, it is necessary to also consider learning pathways centered on the accumulation of practical experience in addition to certification-oriented structures.
Results of Multiple Regression Analysis on Factors Influencing Educational Satisfaction and Future Participation Intention in the Advanced Course
In the advanced course, increased interest in gardens (β = .512, p < .01) and helpful for home gardening (β = .346, p < .01) were identified as key factors affecting future participation intention (Table 7). This indicates that advanced-stage education functions to strengthen sustained interest in home garden management and self-directed learning motivation. While volunteering was an important factor in the basic course, its relatively lower explanatory power in the advanced course shows that participation motivation is driven by opportunities for social contribution at the initial stage, whereas personal achievement and applicability to everyday life serve as stronger driving forces at the advanced stage.
The explanatory power of the regression models was relatively high for both the basic course (R2 = .551) and the advanced course (R2 = .528), supporting the view that citizen gardener training serves as a substantive explanatory variable for participants’ behavioral intentions.
The results of the multiple regression analysis suggest that citizen gardener training functions not merely as a means of skill acquisition or certification, but as a multifaceted education program that mediates the enhancement of individual competencies in everyday life, emotional satisfaction, and community participation. In particular, the finding that educational satisfaction and future participation intention are explained more by practical experience, volunteer activities, and emotional effects than by institutional certification suggests that this could facilitate further discussion regarding the operation of the citizen gardener system (Son and Kim, 2015).
In the basic course, while competencies in home garden management and foundational learning outcomes were comparatively well established, relatively low satisfaction was observed in items related to volunteer experience. This indicates that the aspects of public value and community contribution pursued by the citizen gardener system are not sufficiently realized at the initial stage, suggesting the need to structurally incorporate community-linked practical opportunities into the learning process. This interpretation is consistent with prior research indicating that gardening and garden activities can contribute not only to individual learning outcomes but also to social interaction and community formation (Soga et al., 2017).
In the advanced course, satisfaction with volunteer participation experiences and garden management practice was higher than in the basic course, indicating that advancement in the educational stage reinforces participants’ practical experience. This suggests that when citizen gardener training is structured to progressively expand levels of learning and practice, participants’ sense of achievement and self-directed learning motivation can be strengthened. These findings can also be explained from the perspective of experiential learning theory, which posits that learning centered on experience and practice leads to learning outcomes and behavioral intentions (Kolb, 1984).
Moreover, the limited effect of motivation for certification on continuity of participation indicates that expanding the citizen gardener system into a certification-centered hierarchical structure may not necessarily align with participants’ needs. Rather, the finding that repeated participation and the accumulation of learning experiences mediated by education enhance continuity of participation and the stability of space use is also confirmed in international public space cases (Sim et al., 2020; Kowarik and Langer, 2005).
Overall, the policy direction of citizen gardener training should focus on qualitative aspects of educational outcomes, such as practice-oriented learning, community volunteer experience, and the accumulation of emotional and social rewards, rather than on expanding certification. This approach can enhance the sustainability of the citizen gardener system while also contributing to the diffusion of garden culture in everyday life and the effectiveness of community-based garden policies.
Conclusion
This study empirically analyzed educational satisfaction and future participation intention in the basic and advanced courses of the Jinju Citizen Gardener Training Program and proposed directions for program improvement. In the basic course, home garden management and foundational learning outcomes were prominent, and educational content, instructor expertise, and the appropriateness of education difficulty were found to be closely associated with satisfaction. In contrast, volunteer experience was identified as an area requiring improvement due to insufficient opportunities relative to expectations, indicating the need to institutionally expand volunteering opportunities at the basic stage to strengthen the public value of the citizen gardener system.
In the advanced course, satisfaction with garden volunteer activities increased, and satisfaction with practice-related items—previously classified as areas requiring improvement in the basic course—also somewhat improved, indicating that educational outcomes had reached a more stable stage. In particular, interest in gardens and applicability to everyday life were identified as key factors strengthening future participation intention, suggesting that advanced education functions to promote personal achievement and self-directed learning motivation. However, some horticultural practices, such as pruning and propagation, showed relatively low satisfaction, highlighting the need for qualitative improvements in educational infrastructure and practice environments.
The regression results show that educational satisfaction is primarily explained by instructor expertise and practical experience, while future participation intention is affected not only by educational satisfaction but also by emotional effects and volunteer experience. This suggests that citizen gardener training functions not merely as knowledge transmission but as an institutional mechanism that fosters participants’ long-term engagement and community connected-ness through experience-based learning and participation in community activities, thereby contributing to the diffusion of community-based garden culture. Furthermore, the finding that institutional goals such as obtaining certification were not significantly associated with satisfaction indicates that participants place greater importance on practical, everyday learning experiences and the value of contributing to the community than on attaining professional status.
In sum, citizen gardener training is identified as a multi-dimensional educational model that simultaneously enhances everyday life competencies of individuals, promotes emotional satisfaction, and expands community contribution. These findings indicate that the citizen gardener system extends beyond a hobby-based program to function as an educational model contributing to the diffusion of community- based garden culture and community activities. In terms of policy, it is necessary to expand garden-related volunteer opportunities in the basic course, strengthen practice in the advanced course, implement an optional certification and professional track system, and prioritize resource allocation toward instructor expertise, experience-based learning, and volunteer experience. Such strategies can enhance the sustainability of the citizen gardener system and contribute to the diffusion of garden culture in everyday life as well as to establishing a foundation for attracting a national garden.
Although this study is limited in its generalizability as it focuses on a single city case for analysis, it provides meaningful implications for academic and policy discussions by empirically identifying the operational mechanisms of citizen gardener training and the motivational structure of participants through this single case. Future research should compare and analyze citizen gardener training programs across multiple regions to derive both region-specific characteristics and universal factors. In addition, if qualitative research is conducted in parallel to explore participants’ experiences, changes in motivation, and the formation of social networks in depth, it would enable a richer explanation of the individual value and social functions of citizen gardener training. Above all, the analytical framework of this study is applicable to the evaluation of garden education policies in other regions, offering practical contributions to the institutional expansion of citizen gardener training and the development of local garden policies.
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